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At 28, Milford’s Chris Colabello gets a spring training shot with the Minnesota Twins

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February 12, 2012|By Marvin Pave

Chris Colabello will train with the Twins.

Chris Colabello has always been able to hit, from his days on the Milford Post 59 squad that advanced to the American Legion World Series in 2001, to his four seasons at Assumption College, where he finished with a .359 career batting average.

Or the last seven seasons in the independent Can-Am League, including last summer with the Worcester Tornadoes, when the 6-foot-4, 225-pound first baseman earned league Player of the Year honors after he finished second in average (.348), home runs (20), and RBIs (79) while playing all 92 games.

At 28, Colabello has earned an invitation to spring training with the Minnesota Twins, with an opportunity to play at the Double A level.

“They need a Double A first baseman and I hope I can be that guy,’’ said Colabello, who was also honored last season by Baseball America as the Independent League Player of the Year.

The righthanded Colabello leaves for Fort Myers Feb. 26 and reports officially March 5.

If his tryout is successful, Colabello could play close to home - with the Twins AA affiliate in New Britain, Conn.

Thomas, Staley tandem sweeps

Stonehill College’s 1-2 high-jumping tandem of junior All-American Corey Thomas of Brookline and freshman Nicholas Staley of Medway swept the Northeast-10 Conference’s weekly field honors after last weekend’s Charley Torpey Memorial Invitational at the University of Rhode Island. Thomas qualified for the NCAA Championships with his first-place leap of 7feet 0.25 inches. Staley captured NE-10 Rookie of the Week honors by placing second (6-10.25).